1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a modular electrical power distribution system, and, more particularly, to such a system including a modular electrical outlet and connector assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
A modular power distribution system may include a wiring harness or channel which is connected with a modular electrical device, such as an electrical outlet. The wiring harness or channel typically includes a plurality of wires which are associated with line, neutral and ground conductors of the system. For example, in one known ten wire power distribution system, six wires are associated with line conductors, two wires are associated with neutral conductors, and two wires are associated with ground conductors. Each of the ten conductors is electrically connected with an associated terminal in a plug-in type connector. The modular electrical outlet includes a plug-in type connector which is mated with the connector on the wiring harness such that conductors disposed within the electrical outlet are connected with selected ones of the terminals in the plug-in connector of the wiring harness. For a conventional, single phase, 115 volt AC electrical outlet, three conductors are disposed within the electrical outlet which electrically interconnect the pair of plug-in connectors at each end of the outlet with associated blade receiving sockets disposed below blade receiving openings formed in the faceplate of the outlet. A line conductor extends to a selected one of the six associated terminals in the plug-in connector at each end of the electrical outlet.
During the manufacture of a modular electrical outlet as described above, the outlet is wired according to one of a plurality of wiring configurations. A number of electrical outlets with different wiring configurations are provided to the user who then selects the appropriate wired outlet for a particular application. The line, neutral and ground conductors within the electrical outlet are typically not in the form of a wire, but rather in the form of a relatively rigid conductor which is formed to a predetermined shape and placed within the electrical outlet. Accordingly, with a conventional modular electrical outlet having a line conductor which is selectively connected to one of six different terminals in the mating wiring harness plug-in connector, it is necessary to provide six differently formed line conductors for interconnection with the respective connector terminals. An assembly person selects one of the six different line conductors and places the same within the housing of the electrical outlet. Similarly, one of two differently formed neutral conductors, and one of two differently formed ground conductors are also placed within the housing of the electrical outlet.
A problem with conventional modular electrical outlets is that a relatively large number of conductors must be formed and maintained in stock for an assembly person to choose from during the assembly of the outlet. For example, with a modular electrical outlet having a line conductor which may be selectively associated with one of six different conductors in the wiring harness, it is necessary that six different line conductors be formed for a user to choose from during the assembly of the modular electrical outlet.
A connector assembly which is used in a power distribution system as described above may include a plurality of conductors therein which define the terminals extending into the terminal receiving openings of a connector. The connector assembly is typically connected to the plurality of wires within the wiring harness or channel, such as the ten wires described above. To connect the conductors within the connector assembly to the wires, each conductor may include a crimped termination which is crimped to a respective wire. The conductors are typically over molded with a plastic injection molding process, and the crimped terminations are either imbedded within the connector assembly or extend from the connector assembly.
A problem with a conventional connector assembly as described above is that with a power distribution system having a relatively large number of wires, e.g., a ten wire system, the size of the connector assembly becomes relatively large in order to accommodate physical tolerances between the crimped terminations. That is, with a conventional connector assembly, the crimped terminations are aligned relative to each other such that a substantially linear row of crimped terminations results. Since each crimped termination may be larger in diameter than the wire about which it is crimped, the side-to-side spacing between conductors is limited by the size of the crimped terminations with appropriate spacing therebetween to prevent electrical shorting.
What is needed in the art is a modular electrical outlet which may be relatively easily assembled, and requires less inventory to be maintained in stock.
What is further needed in the art is an electrical connector assembly which includes a relatively large number of conductors without resulting in an excessively large connector assembly.